Paleontologists Discover New Species of Dinosaur That Lived 200 Million Years Ago

A new paleontological find brings science one step closer to the mysterious world of the dinosaurs. At a dig site in Southern Africa, an international team of scientists has discovered a dinosaur footprint measuring 22 1/2″ (57 cm) by 19 3/4″ (50 cm), belonging to a previously unknown species.

The unique footprint was found in the Maseru region of Lesotho. It belonged to a gigantic three-toed creature, which according to researchers was a carnivore. The evidence suggests that the mysterious giant was a relative of the infamous T-rex.

According to paleontologists, the three-toed animal inhabited the planet 200 million years ago. According to their calculations, it was about 10 ft (3 m) tall, with a body stretching to about 30 ft (9 m) long. The newly discovered species belongs to the so-called Mega-Carnivore group and has been named Kayentapus ambrokholohali by its discoverers.

The discovery of the footprint is a crucial paleontological find, one of the most impressive ever to be unearthed in Africa, say the experts in their scientific report.

Picture: independent

The find is also significant for another reason. It's the first proof of its kind that a gigantic bloodthirsty dinosaur lived in Southern Africa an entire 100 million years before the appearance of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Further, it dates to the early Jurassic - a period in which scientists previously thought there were much less dinosaurs on Earth.